Here are a few phrases in Spanish that you might
want to use in your correspondence with your
sponsored child:
Hola
Hello
¿Cómo es usted?
How are you?
Mi nombre es _____
My name is ____
Gracias
Thank you
Adios
Goodbye
Holidays
Celebrations are very important to your sponsored child
and family. The most important ones have religious or
political significance:
January 1
El Ano Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
March/April*
Pascua (Easter)
May 12-15
Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
November 1
All Saints’ Day
December 25
Navidad (Christmas)
*date varies
Religion in Peru
Eighty-one percent of the Peruvian population is
Catholic and 13 percent are Protestant.
Catholicism and Protestantism are denominations of
the Christian faith. Christians are followers of Jesus,
a carpenter and a Jew from the city of Nazareth in
present-day Israel. Christians believe that Jesus is the
only son of God, born of a virgin woman (Mary) in
a stable in Bethlehem. His story is told in the New
Testament of the Christian holy book, the Bible. The
Christian symbol—the cross—reminds the faithful
that Jesus died for them, for the forgiveness of their
sins. Christian holidays include Christmas (December
25), which celebrates the birth of Jesus; Good Friday
(March/April), which commemorates the death of Jesus
on the cross; and Easter (March/April), the most holy of
Christian sacred days that celebrates the resurrection of
Jesus on the third day after his death.
Population
Capital City
30 million
Lima
Official Language
Spanish
Per Capita Income
US$5,880/year
Youth Literacy Rate
98% male/97% female
Access to Safe Water
91% urban/66% rural
Under 5 Mortality Rate
18/1,000 live births
Source: The State of the World’s Children 2014 (UNICEF)
May 1
Labor Day
Additional sources include the CIA World Factbook and State Department websites.
Plan International USA is part of a global organization that works side by side with communities in 50 developing countries to
end the cycle of poverty for children. We develop solutions community by community to ensure long-term sustainability. Our
level of community engagement, long-term outlook, and constant focus on the needs and priorities of children is unique among
international development organizations. Our solutions are designed up-front to be owned by the community for generations to
come, and range from clean water and health-care programs to education projects and child-protection initiatives.
Promising Futures,
Community by Community
peru
in communicating with your sponsored child, as the
majority of the children do not know enough English to
write a letter. Those who do not know English will be
assigned community workers and volunteers who will
explain your letters and help the children compose their
responses.
Plan International USA
155 Plan Way • Warwick, RI 02886
1-800-556-7918 • planusa.org
Peru is the third-largest South American country (approximately twice the size of France),
much of which is not fit for human habitation. The country can be divided into three
distinct regions: a narrow coastal belt, the wide Andean mountains, and the Amazon Basin.
The Peruvian Andes are some of the most beautiful on the continent, and the mountains
are home to millions of highland indigenous peoples who still speak the ancient language
of Quechua and maintain a traditional way of life. The lush Amazon Basin, which occupies
half of Peru, is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Peru has a species-rich tropical
rain forest that contains an area of seemingly endless ecological discovery, as well as
coastal deserts with huge, rolling dunes; farmland oases; and fishing villages on which rain
seldom falls.
A Brief History
Multiple layers of great civilizations have made Peru
a diverse and historic land. The first inhabitants were
nomadic hunter-gatherers in Peru’s coastal regions. The
oldest site, Pikimachay cave, dates from 12,000 BC.
Later, advanced cultures such as the Chavín introduced
weaving, agriculture, and religion to the country. By the
early 15th century, the Inca empire had control of much
of the region, even extending its influence into the area
that would become Colombia and Chile. Between 1526
and 1528, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro
explored Peru’s coastal regions and, drawn by the riches
of the Inca empire, returned to Spain to raise money
and recruit men for another expedition to the country.
Pizarro subsequently founded the city of Lima in 1535
but was assassinated six years later. The rebellion of the
last Inca leader, Manco Inca, ended tragically with his
beheading in 1572. The next 200 years proved peaceful,
with Lima becoming the major political, social, and
commercial center of the Andean nations. However,
the exploitation of natives by their colonial masters led
to an uprising in 1780 under the self-styled Inca Tupac
Amaru II. The rebellion was short-lived, and most of the
leaders were rounded up and executed. Peru continued
to remain loyal to Spain until 1824, when the country
was liberated by Simón Bolívar.
Plan’s work in Peru covers five key
areas, all of which are rooted in the
rights of the child:
Children’s health
Learning for life
Citizenship strengthening
Sustainable livelihoods
Child rights, protection, and governance
Children’s health
We work to improve the development of boys and
girls under the age of 5. We also focus on caring
for pregnant women, mainly by promoting healthy
practices, early childhood education, good nutrition,
and enabling a caring environment at home and in the
community.
Learning for life
The main objective of this program is to improve the
development of children age 6 to 12 years old, by
increasing their participation in decisions that affect
their lives. We are also committed to providing quality
education; improving their knowledge and practice of
healthy habits; and enabling a caring environment.
Citizenship strengthening
We support the development of adolescents age
13 to 17—especially girls—by promoting active
citizenship participation, access to quality education,
and information on sexual and reproductive health. We
also provide vocational training and help these youth to
develop important life skills.
Sustainable livelihoods
Plan provides assistance to poor adolescents and young
people, mainly girls and women, by helping them
to develop entrepreneurial, productive, social, and
personal skills so that they can better access the labor
market and improve their income prospects.
Child rights, protection, and
governance
We facilitate training of children and adolescents to help
them learn, appreciate, and advocate for their rights.
We also work closely with the relevant government
authorities to provide child protection in child-friendly
environments and prioritize child rights in key policy
and budgetary decisions.
Food security and nutrition
Family Structure
This program promotes the right to food for every child,
focusing on preventing and reducing malnutrition. We
work to improve access to safe, nutritious food, while
protecting the environment.
As in many South American cultures, there is a strong
sense of family among the people of Peru. It is not
uncommon for members of the extended family—
including grandparents, cousins, and other relatives—to
live in the same house. As in many Latin American
countries, there is a male-centered influence, yet the
woman of the family holds tremendous influence and
power over the children and all monetary issues.
Economic Security
The percentage of people who work in the agriculture
sector has gone down drastically over the last 30 years
as increasing numbers of people move to urban areas.
Among the families with which Plan works, however,
more than three-quarters are still dedicated to farming.
Basic crops include potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes,
cassava, and fruits that are mainly used for family
consumption. Many farmers struggle with the problem
of land tenure in Peru and are forced to sell their land
and work for others. Poverty forces many families to put
their children to work after school. In urban centers, this
practice typically involves children of no more than 5 or
6 years of age selling sweets on the streets or on buses,
or sometimes simply begging. Other work activities
include cleaning car windshields at traffic lights. In
rural areas, it is more common for children to help
around the house or with taking care of the animals.
Girls frequently work for money on neighboring farms
washing clothes and milking cows.
Ethnic Diversity
After the Spanish conquest of Peru in the 1500s,
many Spaniards and indigenous peoples married, with
their descendants now called mestizos. This ethnic
group accounts for nearly half of the population of
Peru. Native Peruvians also form a large ethnic group.
The Quechua and Aymara peoples, both of highland
origin, constitute about half of the population. These
two groups have retained their cultural and linguistic
heritage, which dates back to pre-Inca times when these
groups flourished.
Language
The Quechua and Aymara languages are quite common
in rural areas, but most children speak Spanish. It is
very likely that you will encounter a language barrier